My niece came to visit this past weekend for a few days, which turned out to be pretty tense for her, and she was one of the lucky ones.  She lives just north of Santa Barbara, California, which was burning.  She knew people who were being evacuated from their homes.  While she was visiting, she spent a lot of time on the phone talking to friends about the  advancing fire.  Friday was a particularly tense day and she wondered if she needed to rush back home, although she wasn’t sure she could get through or even what she would do. Do you grab your computer, your passport, a favorite possession?   Saturday was more of the same, with friends calling to let her know the fire had gotten within a mile of her home.  By Sunday the news was better for her and she was able to relax a bit as it looked like the fire was being contained.  Many others did not fare as well.

The Northwest is having its own set of problems with the very typical November storm/flood pattern I’ve seen so many of my 22 years on Seattle’s eastside.  Rivers are filled to the tops of their banks.  The Northwest storm season is upon us.

Things are happening, and they are not always good. We’re all very focused on the economy and the state of our 401k’s, stock portfolios, jobs, and mortgages.

But we push those natural disasters back in our minds.  Of course, it can never happen to us.  Yet, we know we have to protect ourselves and our homes.  We know we need to plan for emergencies and we rarely do.  Most people don’t have escape plans developed for families or a contact number in a different part of the country that everyone can call.  Most people don’t have food and other supplies, lights, candles, etc. in case of an emergency. Most people don’t know how to turn the gas or water off in times of an emergency.  Most people don’t know where emergency shelters are located.  Most people don’t have emergency supplies for a family pet.

Now is the time to plan, because when something happens it’s too late.  If you go to the American Red Cross site, there are all kinds of things you can order that will help you during times of an emergency.  This other link to the American Red Cross site has information for all kinds of needs, preparedness for your pets, your family, the elderly, and the disabled.  It’s a great resource.  The Department of Homeland Security also maintains a site with terrific information.